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50 Cards in this Set
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scintillescent (sint-uh-LES-uhnt) adjective
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Sparkling or twinkling.
[From Latin scintillare (to sparkle), from scintilla (spark).] |
From Latin
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vetitive (VET-i-tiv) adjective
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1. Relating to a veto.
2. Having the power to forbid. [From Latin vetare (to forbid).] |
From Latin
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rapparee (rap-uh-REE) noun
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1. An Irish guerrilla fighter in the late seventeenth century.
2. Any freebooter or robber. [From Irish rapaire/ropaire (half-pike), since rapparees were known to carry these.] |
From Irish
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bilabial (by-LAY-bee-uhl) adjective
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Using both lips.
[Latin bi- (two) + labial, from labium (lip), ultimately from Indo-European root leb- (lip, to lick) also the source of lip, labrose (having thick or large lips), and labret (ornament worn in pierced lip).] |
From Latin
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bilabial (by-LAY-bee-uhl) noun
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A bilabial sound or consonant, for example p, b, m, where both lips touch each other, and w in which lips are rounded.
[Latin bi- (two) + labial, from labium (lip), ultimately from Indo-European root leb- (lip, to lick) also source of lip, labrose (having thick or large lips), and labret (ornament in lip).] |
From Latin
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froufrou (FROO-froo) noun
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1. Something fancy, elaborate, and showy.
2. A rustling sound, as of a silk dress. [From French, of imitative origin.] |
From French
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iris (EYE-ris) noun, plural irises, irides
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1. The pigmented tissue of the eye in the center of which is the opening called the pupil.
2. A rainbow. 3. A showy, flowering plant. [From Latin iris, from Greek Iris/iris (the goddess of the rainbow, rainbow).] |
From Latin
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vitreous (VI-tree-uhs) noun
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The clear, glassy, sticky inner substance of the eye.
[From Latin vitreus (made of glass), from vitrum (glass).] |
From Latin
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vitreous (VI-tree-uhs) adjective
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Glassy.
[From Latin vitreus (made of glass), from vitrum (glass).] |
From Latin
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dendriform (DEN-druh-form) adjective
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In the shape of a tree.
[From Greek dendron (tree), from which stem dendritic (treelike or tree-branch like) and dendrochronology (the study of a tree's age by counting its rings).] |
From Greek
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cataract (KAT-uh-rakt) noun
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1. A clouding of the naturally occurring crystalline lens.
2. A waterfall. [From Latin cataracta (waterfall, portcullis), from Greek katarahaktes (downpour), from Greek katarassein (down rush), from Greek kata (down) + arassein (to strike).] |
From Latin
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spectral (SPEK-truhl) adjective
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1. Pertaining to a light energy spectrum, usually the visible spectrum.
2. Pertaining to a ghost, wraith, or apparition. [From Latin spectrum (appearance), from Latin specere (to look at).] |
From Latin
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yenta (YEN-tuh) noun
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A busybody or a gossip.
[From Yiddish yente, originally a female name.] |
From Yiddish
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schmooze, schmoose, or schmoos (shmooz) verb intr.
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To chat, especially in order to gain an advantage or to make a social or business connection with an influential person.
[From Yiddish shmues (chat, gossip), from Hebrew shemuah (reports, rumor).] |
From Yiddish
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schmooze, schmoose, or schmoos (shmooz) noun
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A gossipy or ingratiating chat.
[From Yiddish shmues (chat, gossip), from Hebrew shemuah (reports, rumor).] |
From Yiddish
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maven (MAY-vuhn) noun
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An expert, connoisseur, or enthusiast.
[From Yiddish meyvn, from Hebrew mebhin (one who understands).] |
From Yiddish
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schlub (shlub) noun, also spelled as zhlub or zhlob
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A clumsy oaf.
[From Yiddish, from Polish zhlob (blockhead, trough, manger).] |
From Yiddish
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shtick or schtick or schtik (shtik) noun
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1. A performer's routine or gimmick.
2. One's special trait, interest, or talent. [From Yiddish shtik (pranks, gimmick, routine, literally piece), from German Stück (piece).] |
From Yiddish
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roscian (ROSH-ee-uhn) adjective
eponym |
Of or related to acting.
[After Quintus Roscius Gallus (c.126-62 BCE), a Roman actor famous for his talent in acting.] |
Eponym
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bunyanesque (bun-yuh-NESK) adjective
eponym |
1. Gigantic; of or relating to the legends of the fictional hero Paul Bunyan.
2. Of or relating to the allegorical style of the author John Bunyan. [1. An American folk hero of tall tales. 2. John Bunyan (no relation) a 17th century English preacher famed for his novel Pilgrim's Progress.] |
Eponym
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adamite (AD-uh-myt) noun
eponym |
1. A nudist.
2. A human being. 3. A mineral usually yellow and green in color. [1. After Christian sects imitating Adam in not wearing clothes. 2. After the first human. 3. After mineralogist Gilbert Joseph Adam (1795-1881).] |
Eponym
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hermeneutic (hur-muh-NOO-tik, -NYOO-) adjective
eponym |
Interpretive or explanatory.
[From Greek hermeneutikos (of interpreting), from hermeneuein (to interpret), from hermeneus (interpreter). After Hermes, a messenger/herald for Greek other gods. Was the god of eloquence, commerce, invention, cunning, and theft.] |
Eponym
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galen (GAY-luhn) noun
eponym |
A physician.
[After Galen, a famous Greek physician in the 2nd century. He pioneered the study of anatomy and wrote extensively about his findings.] |
Eponym
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ensorcell (en-SOR-suhl) verb tr.
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To bewitch; to enchant.
[From Middle French ensorceler, from Old French ensorcerer, from en- + -sorcerer, from Old French sorcier, from Vulgar Latin sortiarius, from Latin sort-, stem of sors (lot, fate).] |
From Middle French
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guttle (GUT-l) verb tr., intr.
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To eat voraciously; to devour greedily.
[From gut, on the pattern of guzzle, from Middle English gut, from plural guttes (entrails), from Old English guttas.] |
From Middle English
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chaffer (CHAF-uhr) verb tr., intr.
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1. To haggle; to bargain.
2. To bandy words; to chatter. [From Middle English chaffare, eventually from Old English ceap (trade, purchase), precursor of English cheap + faru (journey).] |
From Middle English
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chaffer (CHAF-uhr) noun
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Bargaining or haggling.
[From Middle English chaffare, eventually from Old English ceap (trade, purchase), precursor of English cheap + faru (journey).] |
From Middle English
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dehisce (di-HIS) verb intr.
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1. To burst open, as the pod of a plant.
2. To gape. [When a peapod is ripe and bursts open, it's yawning, etymologically speaking. The term dehisce comes from Latin dehiscere (to split open), from hiscere (to gape, yawn), from Latin hiare (to yawn). Hiatus also from this root.] |
From Latin
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debouch (di-BOUCH, di-BOOSH) verb intr.
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1. To march out from a narrow or confined place into an open area.
2. To emerge or issue from a narrow area into the open. [From French deboucher, from de- (out of) + boucher, from bouche (mouth), from Latin bucca (mouth or cheek). Buckle (as in a belt) derives from this root.] |
From French
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arithmancy (AR-ith-man-see) noun
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Divination by numbers.
[From Greek arithmos (number) + -mancy (divination).] |
From Greek
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bibliomancy (BIB-lee-o-man-see) noun
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Divination by interpreting a passage picked at random from a book, especially from a religious book such as the Bible.
[From Greek biblio- (book) + -mancy (divination).] |
From Greek
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necromancy (NEK-ruh-man-see) noun
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1. Divination by trying to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
2. Magic; sorcery; witchcraft. [From Greek nekros (corpse) + -mancy (divination). From Indo-European root nek- (death) also source of nuisance, obnoxious, innocent, innocuous, nectar, and nectarine.] |
From Greek
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clairvoyance (klar-VOI-uhns) noun
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1. The power of seeing things removed in time or space.
2. Intuitive insight into things. [From French clairvoyance, from clair (clear) + voyant (seeing), present participle of voir (to see).] |
From French
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haruspicy (hur-RUS-puh-see) noun
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Divination by inspecting the entrails of sacrificed animals.
[From Latin haruspicium, from haruspex, from hira (entrails) + specere (to look at).] |
From Latin
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clinquant (KLING-kuhnt) adjective
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Glittering, especially with gold or tinsel.
[From French, present participle of obsolete clinquer (to clink), from Dutch klinken (to clink).] |
From French
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clinquant (KLING-kuhnt) noun
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Tinsel; glitter.
[From French, present participle of obsolete clinquer (to clink), from Dutch klinken (to clink).] |
From French
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agnomen (ag-NO-men) noun, plural agnomina
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A nickname.
[From Latin ag- (a variant of ad- : additional) + nomen (name).] |
From Latin
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quaggy (KWAG-ee) adjective
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Marshy; flabby; spongy.
[From quag (marsh), of unknown origin.] |
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exiguous (ig-ZIG-yoo-uhs) adjective
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Scanty; small; slender.
[From Latin exiguus (scanty), from exigere (to measure or to demand). Ultimately from Indo-European root ag- (to drive, draw) that's also the fount of such words as act, agent, agitate, litigate, synagogue, and ambassador.] |
From Latin
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strait (strayt) noun, usually used in plural
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1. A narrow channel connecting two larger bodies of water.
2. A position of distress. [From Middle English streit (narrow), from Latin stringere (to bind, draw tight). From Indo-European root streig- (to stroke or press) also source of strike, streak, strict, stress, and strain.] |
From Middle English
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strait (strayt) adjective
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1. Narrow.
2. Strict. [From Middle English streit (narrow), from Old French estreit, from Latin strictus, past particle of stringere (to bind, draw tight). Ultimately from Indo-European root streig- (to stroke or press) that's also the source of strike, streak, strict, stress, and strain.] |
From Middle English
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pollicitation (puh-lis-i-TAY-shuhn) noun
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A promise or an offer made but not yet accepted.
[From Latin pollicitation, from polliceri (to promise).] |
From Latin
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nudiustertian (nu-di-uhs-TUR-shuhn) adjective
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Of or relating to the day before yesterday.
[From Latin nudius tertius, literally, today is the third day.] |
From Latin
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dandle (DAN-dl) verb tr.
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1. To bounce a child on the knees or in the arms.
2. To pamper or pet. [Of uncertain origin.] |
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phatic (FAT-ik) adjective
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Relating to a communication meant to generate an atmosphere of social relationship rather than to convey some information.
[Coined by anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942). From Greek phanai (to speak), also prophet and aphasia (loss of ability to speak/ understand language due to an injury).] |
From Greek
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tarantism (TAR-uhn-tiz-uhm) noun
toponym |
An uncontrollable urge to dance.
[After Taranto, a town in southern Italy where this phenomenon was experienced during the 15-17th centuries. It's not clear whether it was the symptom of a spider's bite or its cure, or just a pretext to dodge a prohibition against dancing. The dance and spider from same.] |
Toponym
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epithalamion (ep-uh-thuh-LAY-mee-on), also epithalamium, noun
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A poem or song in honor of a bride and bridegroom.
[From Greek epi- (upon) + thalamus (bridal chamber).] |
From Greek
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palinode (PAL-uh-noad) noun
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A poem in which the author retracts something said in an earlier poem.
[From Greek palinoidia, from palin (again) + oide (song).] |
From Greek
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epopee (EP-uh-pee) noun
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Epic poetry or an epic poem.
[From Greek epopoiia, from epos (song) + poiein (to make).] |
From Greek
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monody (MON-uh-dee) noun
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1. A poem in which the poet laments someone's death.
2. A piece of music in which a single melodic line predominates. [From Greek monoidos (singing alone), from mono- (one) + (oide) song.] |
From Greek
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